ความคิดเห็น •

  • @TheConstantSeeker
    @TheConstantSeeker ปีที่แล้ว +31

    "Days and Days" DESTROYED me so much. At the end when she says "Don't you come back here..." My heart sank - is she really rejecting her daughter? Kicking her out?! "I didn't raise you..." OMG she's fully disowning her daughter. She has no love left for her any more. I'm crushed. "To give away your days like me." Holy shit... she loves her daughter so much that she wants her to leave and have a better life - the kind of life she never got to have. I'm a puddle of tears.

  • @ajmalaika1287
    @ajmalaika1287 ปีที่แล้ว +34

    Oh dear, I adore this but it hurts me on a personal level. The line "maybe not right now"... is used in such an accurate and interesting way that I can't explain. Other fav lines:
    "Everything is balanced and serene like chaos never happens if it's never seen." "No one clocks the day you disappear." "Falling into nothingness or flying into something so sublime." "Not your Dad's mythology" "Beautiful...no I mean handsome."

    • @Barbara2.0
      @Barbara2.0 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Some of my favourites too :) special mention to "why am I standing here" and "I had no idea my beginning would be your end", cause that HURT

  • @orangemarmalade77
    @orangemarmalade77 ปีที่แล้ว +40

    I love Fun Home SO MUCH 😭 I'm going to come back later to say more, but if you love small Allison, you should definitely check out her performance of Ring of Keys from that year's Tonys. I cried after watching it because I couldn't believe that the production had believed in Sydney Lucas so much that they let her go up there and represent the show almost entirely on her own. A lesser show would have done one of the ensemble songs (and people wanted them to), but they let their young star sing one of the show's most impactful songs instead. And then they won best musical!

    • @Barbara2.0
      @Barbara2.0 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      She's absolutely brilliant though. Glad they believed in her

  • @jacobgarofalo635
    @jacobgarofalo635 ปีที่แล้ว +26

    Such an awesome show! About "Ring of Keys," everything I've read says it's just a symbol of the independence the woman has, the power to open all those doors, which is why Allison fixates so much on them. But also everyone could interpret that differently!

    • @Barbara2.0
      @Barbara2.0 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Oh that's really cool, I like it

    • @chloerose9938
      @chloerose9938 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      The ring of keys is actually a reference to lesbian flagging culture. It could also symbolize what you said within the context of the song, but I suggest googling “lesbian flagging carabiner” for the history on rings of keys and queer culture!

    • @jacobgarofalo635
      @jacobgarofalo635 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      ​@Chloe Rose that's really cool! I def have heard stereotypes about lesbians and carabiners before but not familiar with any important symbolism behind it, I'll have to investigate. I can only come with the lit major analysis and not the queer history unfortunately

    • @fad23
      @fad23 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@chloerose9938 For young Alison, she may not have recognized that on context of the culture, but it certainly seems to have made that same impression!

    • @chloerose9938
      @chloerose9938 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@fad23 she definitely didn’t, but within the context of writing the show and choosing that for her to focus on it and naming the song it is extremely important and relevant historical context to have. They have interviews with the writers about choosing it. They are great reads I definitely recommend them talking about writing that song especially.

  • @TheWiseGrif
    @TheWiseGrif ปีที่แล้ว +17

    If Helen's voice sounds a bit familiar to anyone, that's because it's the LEGENDARY Judy Kuhn, the singing voice of Pocahontas, and Broadway's first (and the 10th anniversary dream cast's) Cosette in Les Miserables

  • @KeithAlanNealy
    @KeithAlanNealy 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Barbara, we just had our final show of "Fun Home" produced and staged in Hawaii. I was the drummer and percussionist in the orchestra pit. I am so pleased that you really were so perceptive to the story, music, and style of writing. Watching you reacting in real time- I had tears in my eyes knowing that you really "got it." Playing the show was a real intense experience for me as the story and music buried itself in my brain like an "ear-worm" - like a song you can't stop singing. I think this show should be shown in every school across America. The show on Broadway won 5 Tony awards including best musical in 2015. So glad you liked it. I love your style of reviews. I had the experience of watching an excited audience member (you) react - in real time - while I played the music. Thanks, Keith A. Nealy.

    • @Barbara2.0
      @Barbara2.0 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Hey Keith, thank you so much for the kind words 🙏 It's so touching to hear how much the show means to you and how appreciative you are for being part of it. It truly is a great piece of theatre

  • @kaylynrhall
    @kaylynrhall ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I am currently playing Medium Alison in a production of Fun Home. We are only about 3 weeks into rehearsals but I am in awe of this score, lyrics and book. It is insane. Medium Alison is such a challenge because she is the character that has a push and pull of discovering who she is and actually putting out into the world and to her parents. It’s a super hard role but I am so lucky to get to portray her.

    • @Barbara2.0
      @Barbara2.0 ปีที่แล้ว

      Aw that's amazing! Break a leg!

    • @RobertDPore
      @RobertDPore ปีที่แล้ว +1

      That's awesome, I hope you have fun finding things in this role! Break a leg!

    • @KeithAlanNealy
      @KeithAlanNealy 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I just finished a production of Fun Home in Hawaii as the drummer/percussionist in the orchestra pit. See my comment to Barbara above.) Have a great show! I'd love to see your "Changing my Major." It's all you! Go for it.

  • @theaudiobookaficionado
    @theaudiobookaficionado ปีที่แล้ว +19

    One of my favorite musicals of all time 😭😭😭 I was truly just nodding and crying throughout the whole video

  • @j-art1207
    @j-art1207 ปีที่แล้ว +23

    Saw this notification and immediately went YES!!! As a queer comic creator I love this musical

  • @chloerose9938
    @chloerose9938 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    Also, the composer for this show is Jeanine Tesori who is the composer for shows such as Thoroughly Modern Millie and Shrek the Musical so just super different vibes for every project she does haha. Some of her other musicals are definitely worth checking out like Caroline, or Change and I also really love Violet. She also did the music for Kimberly Akimbo which is currently running on broadway. Lisa Kron wrote the book and lyrics and I believe this is the only musical she has done, but she has written many straight plays that often pull from her experience as a lesbian and a Jewish woman that are worth checking out as well!

    • @Barbara2.0
      @Barbara2.0 ปีที่แล้ว

      Great stuff, thank you!

  • @TheWiseGrif
    @TheWiseGrif ปีที่แล้ว +9

    "The original Broadway production was nominated for 12 Tony Awards, winning five, including Best Musical. Jeanine Tesori & Lisa Kron were the first female writing team to win the Tony Award for Best Original Score. Kron won for Best Book. Cerveris won for Best Leading Actor, and Gold won for Best Direction."
    Yes, it was well awarded

  • @fawnlowell6094
    @fawnlowell6094 ปีที่แล้ว +20

    would totally recommend reading the graphic novel, it expands a lot and goes into her dad's OCD and how Allison inherited it and also really struggled with it. this musical is ouch :,)

    • @fad23
      @fad23 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I read the graphic novel when it was released. The musical does an excellent job of adapting it, though they are VERY DIFFERENT.

  • @adrivoid5376
    @adrivoid5376 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    I went to the same college as Alison Bechdel’s Father, and was raised around the area. Being a lesbian this show has meant so much to me. I think its important to know time period here. Alison was born in 1960. Her father dies before the AIDS crisis even hits. So a lot of the pressure and norms here are so period relevant. Theres so much about herself and her family, and Alison Bechdel has said how moved she was, and how shocked she was in being so moved, by this musical adaption of her biographic graphic novel

  • @sentimentalworm
    @sentimentalworm ปีที่แล้ว +10

    i highly recommend reading bechdel’s graphic memoir (‘fun home: a family tragicomic’) for more context and background that couldn’t fit in the musical!! it’s a really good read with really good art :)

  • @TheWiseGrif
    @TheWiseGrif ปีที่แล้ว +12

    This show hits extra hard for me...i was born and raised about 20 miles away from where Alison lived (but i moved away 11 years ago, before the musical started) so my first time listening to the cast recording and hearing Lock Haven, Beech Creek, and Route 150 suddenly punched right to my core...i got to see a regional production a couple of years ago, and it was fantastic
    Also your realization that it's THE Alison Bechdel was great

  • @MyHugeUtsch
    @MyHugeUtsch 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I think my favourite moment of the musical is in "Welcome to our house on Maple Avenue" when they sing "We're a typical family quintet," because Big Alison is singing along, so it's six people singing. It's such a clever way to drop yet another hint to the audience that things are not as they are presented. Only that it took me about ten session of listening and reading along to even notice it. There are so many LAYERS to this musical.

  • @Orange-tf3bf
    @Orange-tf3bf ปีที่แล้ว +1

    In the staging I saw, during the middle of "Raincoat of Love" Middle Allison and Joan were onstage to showcase how genuinely idyllic their relationship was alongside the happiness that she wished her family could have had. Ugh, I love this show so much.

  • @katetoldness4220
    @katetoldness4220 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Did you notice the references to Sunday in the Park with George? When her father "helps" her with her drawing and says "composition." Also as he draws he sings "Dum.. dum duum, dum dum dum (like when George is painting in the studio). Also, a reference to Sondheim's Follies. The song Days and Days has a strong musical reference to the song "Day after Day."

    • @Barbara2.0
      @Barbara2.0 ปีที่แล้ว

      Oh my God, I did not connect the dots (wink wink), but that's brilliant!

  • @Movidude74
    @Movidude74 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    If you can find it, the production was so good. It was in the round at circle in the square and the conceit is Alison is always on stage writing the graphic novel and pi turing medium Alison and Small Allison in her memories. It dis start at the Public with a proscenium and went back to that for the tour, but it was amazing in the round.

  • @TheNitpickChick
    @TheNitpickChick ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I first saw this musical live on stage at a local dinner theatre. I went in knowing very little about it, other than that it was about Alison Bechdel.
    I instantly bought the soundtrack as soon as I was out of the theater. It’s just amazing. While I’ve always been fortunate to have a very supportive family, things in this definitely still resonated very personally with me.
    It’s a tough musical to listen to, with its sad subject matter, so I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s my favorite, but it’s still excellent, and the music is gorgeous. ☺️

  • @nickthedreamer4434
    @nickthedreamer4434 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    For the record, if you want to see a performance of "Ring of Keys", you can find it on TH-cam as it was the number that was performed in the 2015 Tony Awards (where Fun Home took the Award for Best Musical).

  • @Tunarth
    @Tunarth ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I had the great good fortune to see this on Broadway with the original cast. As other commenters have mentioned, it was in the round in a fairly small theater so there were literally no bad seats. Being in so intimate a setting, it allowed the audience to see the facial expressions so clearly, and every member of the cast was astonishingly good. The song that wrecks me the most is Telephone Wire, when in this last moment with her father adult Alison steps into her memory for the first time and takes over for medium Alison as she desperately tries to find a moment where she might have changed what happened. I lost my own father at a young age, although not to suicide, but for years I did this exact thing, trying to think of something I might have done to change the outcome.
    I also agree that if you haven't yet, you MUST watch the Ring of Keys performance from that year's Tony Awards. Sydney Lucas was preternaturally talented for being as young as she was, and watching the expressions chase across her face as fear, longing, joy, and recognition come one after the other during the course of the song is emotional, astounding, and magical.

    • @fad23
      @fad23 ปีที่แล้ว

      I also caught this at Circle in the Square. It blows my mind that other Productions AREN'T presented in the round, but if course they'd have to be.

    • @fad23
      @fad23 ปีที่แล้ว

      Thank you for sharing your personal connection.

    • @Barbara2.0
      @Barbara2.0 ปีที่แล้ว

      I will definitely check out that performance. And I second the other comment, thank you for sharing your personal connection ❤

  • @fafolguy
    @fafolguy หลายเดือนก่อน

    THe truck horn sound the orchestra makes at the end of Bruce's song made me SOB so hard. The idea of not being able to reconcile your place in the world when you don't fit the general accepted narrative speaks volumes for many of us who've struggled with any parts of our identity.

  • @lukejordan9017
    @lukejordan9017 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    "What traumatised him so badly about other people's opinions" - honestly, just growing up queer in Pennsylvania in the 40s and 50s is more than enough to explain it IMO. Bruce couldn't have fit more internalised homophobia and self-policing in his head if he'd tried.

  • @petertrufahnestock5162
    @petertrufahnestock5162 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Once again you amaze me with how much you pick up from just the cast recording. And I love your comp to Next to Normal! Well done.
    I was lucky enough to see both of those shows on Broadway and they are in my top 10 all time. Hope you get a chance to see them.

    • @Barbara2.0
      @Barbara2.0 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Seeing Next to Normal next week. Bursting with excitement!

  • @potterinu
    @potterinu ปีที่แล้ว +1

    One of the first shows I discovered before my musical aficionado aunt. I loved introducing her to something I knew was great she had never seen

  • @madisonbeecham4617
    @madisonbeecham4617 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    random…but a musical that you should react to is “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” great musical that’s extremely funny and sad 🫶

  • @farawaykin
    @farawaykin ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I remember they were gonna do this musical at the college i went to and i auditioned but then the production got cancelled because of c0vid :( such a powerful story and great music tho

  • @Naomi.Fuller
    @Naomi.Fuller ปีที่แล้ว

    Ahh thank you for reacting to this! 💖 It’s my favourite musical and not enough people talk about it.
    I was lucky enough to get to see it when it was in London years ago and I really hope they bring it back. SO beautiful 💖

  • @sallysimpson7
    @sallysimpson7 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I have seen this show twice (sadly not on Broadway) but both were excellent productions. I have listened to the cast recording more times than I can count. I always thought the house on "Edges of the World" was a metaphor for himself.

  • @quiroz923
    @quiroz923 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This musical is so powerful that I cried just from watching you react.

  • @leahh3242
    @leahh3242 ปีที่แล้ว

    omg i asked for this reaction so many times i’m so glad you finally did it! i love it, this show has a special place in my heart!

  • @dramaramasam
    @dramaramasam ปีที่แล้ว +2

    This is one of my top 5 favorite musicals, but I never noticed the similarities to Next to Normal (which is tied with Spring Awakening as my favorite) before.
    I can’t listen to At the Light without crying. I’ve cried just thinking about it before. Maybe it’s because I figured out my own sexuality shortly before my dad died and never told him. Maybe the song is just that emotional. Probably both.

  • @chloerose9938
    @chloerose9938 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I HAVENT STARTED YET BUT IM SO EXCITED YAY THANK YOU FOR REACTING!!!

  • @ellielovegood6307
    @ellielovegood6307 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I absolutely recommend listening to parade, it’s absolutely devastating, buts it’s such a beautiful show
    Though I’d recommend listening to the original cast recording before the revival, as the original has more dialogue that gives more context on what’s going on
    Also note: with parade it is important to know what it’s about, it’s based on a real story, and an extremely heavy story, but important

  • @lulabooks5954
    @lulabooks5954 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I love your series! I also love finding musicals I've never heard of. I saw you react to 36 questions and was like "podcast musicals are a thing!!" I went on a hunt for more and found "In Strange Woods" and it was amazing. A super interesting, intense story! Definitely suggest listening to the podcast!

    • @Barbara2.0
      @Barbara2.0 ปีที่แล้ว

      This is so heartwarming, thank you for the kind words 🥰 Makes me so happy to hear people discovering new shows through the channel. Thanks for the suggestion!

    • @lulabooks5954
      @lulabooks5954 ปีที่แล้ว

      It has the guy who plays Hades in hadestown as one of the main characters

  • @dandub2121
    @dandub2121 ปีที่แล้ว

    One of my favorite musicals. Saw it on Broadway and it blew me away. One of the most important musicals ever !! ❤

  • @megwestfox2481
    @megwestfox2481 ปีที่แล้ว

    I was lucky enough to see a local performance. I cried my eyes out through the whole show, then immediately bought tickets to bring my partner.

  • @AlexanderWandering
    @AlexanderWandering ปีที่แล้ว +3

    It's not exactly a "musical" but I would LOVE a reaction to Bo Burnham's "Make Happy" and "What"

    • @Chromaggia
      @Chromaggia ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Also some of the stuff from Inside!! Welcome to The Internet and How the World Works are such vibes

  • @Nicole-zk6rw
    @Nicole-zk6rw ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I had to do a homework about this musical so I got into it, now it's one of my favorite musical! Also, if you get the time please read the book Fun Home. It's amazing!

  • @matthewgates7775
    @matthewgates7775 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Love fun home! Definitely one of my favorites! Another show that I definitely recommend you listen to is A New Brain

    • @sirisso3974
      @sirisso3974 ปีที่แล้ว

      Yes! I adore A New Brain ❤

  • @kodeispresser5307
    @kodeispresser5307 ปีที่แล้ว

    I love funhome! Saw it on Broadway with the original cast and have seen it at community theaters near by and it wrecks me every time.

  • @MyHugeUtsch
    @MyHugeUtsch 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

    My GODNESS, you are good at this. I wrote my Master's thesis about the musical. For some of the thoughts you so casually share with us, I needed weeks to get there. You would have saved me so much time back then :D Thank you for sharing your expertise!
    Edit: English is hard.

    • @Barbara2.0
      @Barbara2.0 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I'm no expert but appreciate your kind words ❤️

  • @hannahm36790
    @hannahm36790 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Omg love this show. You should also consider doing parade

  • @Hal-x7l
    @Hal-x7l ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I also suggest A STRANGE LOOP (Broadway cast)

  • @JuQui228
    @JuQui228 ปีที่แล้ว

    I recommend you read the comic book this is based on. Its uncanny how accurate to the book this musical was. Like sometimes word for word

  • @DDTC73
    @DDTC73 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    She stayed because it was what women did, being a single mother was still frowned upon, even in the 1970's and she stayed to keep the family together. Also, because they had some kind of social status, it would have been more of a scandal. That's what makes it harder when she tells Alison never to live her life for someone else. It's heartbreaking,

    • @Barbara2.0
      @Barbara2.0 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      For some reason I just kept forgetting the decades in which each phase of the show is happening while listening to it, you're absolutely right

  • @megwestfox2481
    @megwestfox2481 ปีที่แล้ว

    The keys were not code before… but they are now :)

  • @pretendingtoeatthesun9556
    @pretendingtoeatthesun9556 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    You didnt listen to "Al for Short".. it's a cute little song about small Alison imagining life as a macho-type male figure. It's placed after that argument she had with her dad about wearing the dress.

    • @TheWiseGrif
      @TheWiseGrif ปีที่แล้ว +4

      It's not on the cast album, that's why

  • @Astlay
    @Astlay ปีที่แล้ว

    Very late here, but the ring of keys is an old lesbian signifier. So, her fixating on it is a bit of a sweet reference to it ❤

  • @cobaltobject1855
    @cobaltobject1855 ปีที่แล้ว

    Can I suggest Zombie Prom? That's my favorite underrated show. Otherwise I would reccomend Les Miserables but surely that's on the list if you haven't already seen it.

  • @kavtoM
    @kavtoM ปีที่แล้ว

    i read the graphic but i've never listened to the musical before. except for the tony performance.

  • @cjames0723
    @cjames0723 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    This is based on Allison's graphic memoir which is definitely worth a read for more context.

  • @G3R0George
    @G3R0George 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Fun Fact: The actress who played young Alison is the youngest person to ever win an Obie award!

  • @corbinfreeman7802
    @corbinfreeman7802 ปีที่แล้ว

    It won an Oscar

  • @charmainedethierry4166
    @charmainedethierry4166 ปีที่แล้ว

    BARBARA YOU LOOK SO GOOD

  • @lostbug
    @lostbug 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

    If you haven’t red the autobiographical graphic novel this is based on, please do!

  • @corbinfreeman7802
    @corbinfreeman7802 ปีที่แล้ว

    Sorry

    • @Barbara2.0
      @Barbara2.0 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      This made me giggle xD But yeah, thanks D,: